Warmth
by plstommy
Summary: She wasn't intended to arrive there. Not at that maze.
1. Prologue

** PROLOGUE**

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><p>She wasn't intended to arrive there.<p>

Not at _that_ maze.

The Creators made that painfully obvious, by dropping the note into the box - a simple note with a single word.

_Mistake._

She arrived second. She was the second person to ever arrive in the maze, right after Alby. Alby told the story to a few of the boys, and she never seemed to mind when people asked about her arrival (both veterans did leave out the the note). Alby told the Gladers how she arrived kicking and screaming with tears running down her face. She couldn't talk, the only sounds she could conjure were slurred whining, sobs and half hearted squeals. Her face was so green Alby swears that the younger girl had matched the grass of the Glade.

_Greenie_.

She had refused to speak, her fear clouding her judgement - immediately assuming and blaming Alby for her being stuck in the box for nearly an hour. She had swung at Alby, and she swears (much to the older boys dismay) that she packed a mean right hook on Alby's jaw.

_"What - What's your name?!"_

_"My... name...? My name... Elizabeth."_

A long name that would eventually be shortened to 'Lizzy' and/or 'Ellie' (depending on _who_ was calling her) when other Gladers began to arrive. And, as Gladers began arriving slowly and surely - like clockwork - Alby and Elizabeth had sought order and routine. Alby took charge of making sure everyone had jobs, everyone took care of what they had too. Alby became the leader of the Gladers.

And Elizabeth, she built her way up. Although she was the second to arrive, she was _still_ the only girl at the Glade. It became apparent that the she was, in fact, the mistake. This never tore her down, at least not to anyone's knowledge. She kept her chin up, and stuck to her 'job'. Elizabeth became part of the welcoming committee and Minho had stated that it was better seeing her face than any of the other "shuck faced Gladers". Everyone who arrived from within the box welcomed the warm face, the soft voice and the way her brown eyes reminded them of pools of melting chocolate. Elizabeth was _warm_, she was comforting, and she accepted even the foulest of boys with open arms. She was like a fire, warm and welcoming but catastrophic and large when out of control. She was strong. Stronger than most of the boys? No. But she refused to let any of them treat her like their klunk.

She was a lot of things. But Elizabeth, overall, was keeper of the people. She kept everyone calm, she kept them levelheaded and made sure no one was out of hand.

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><p><strong><span> AUTHORS<span> NOTE**

This is going to be a set of _drabbles_ set within TMR series. I plan to put this in chronological order, hopefully following the books timeline from TMR to TST to TDC. This will be hinted Newt/OC but will end with Minho/OC. And, if you haven't guessed already, this will _not_ be spoiler free. Title is subject to change.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Damaged Goods

**DAMAGED GOODS**

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><p>She wasn't cut out for the Maze. It wasn't that Elizabeth wasn't strong, or fast - she was both these things - the only thing Elizabeth was not was coordinated. She had a bad habit of running into both things and people. So, running the Maze was not her forte.<p>

But, if there was one thing that the girl was good at - it was talking. Countless boys woke up from night terrors and nightmares, and countless times Elizabeth was woken with a knock at her door. The boys searching for someone who would listen without judgement. She was the one the boys went to when they had to say something, had to complain, and had to cry. She became a safe haven for secrets, a vault for their nightmares. Elizabeth tried her hardest to make sure that the boys were comfortable with her. She tried her hardest to keep everyone busy, distract them from the terrifying thought that they were trapped within the maze. Elizabeth walked around the Glade and made sure jobs were being done, made sure people were content, and made sure that no one tried to bring and harm themselves or to others. Elizabeth tried.

She **tried**._  
><em>

Gladers parted, not making any move to stop the girl. She was like a fire, not one dared touch her, because trying to put her out would only increase the chaos. Elizabeth shoved and pushed anyone who dared step in front of her, her face was contorted into a grimace as she bumped passed boy after boy. She had no intention of letting any of them stop her. It wasn't until she was nearly in front of the door, only steps away from the med-jacks and Newt, that she was stopped. Hands wound themselves around her small waist and lifted her up, dragging her further away from the room. She flailed, tears of frustration began to fall down her reddened cheeks and snot began to build up and dribble from her nose. She kicked her legs, her small hands pulling and tugging at the larger ones that held onto her. The other Gladers around looked at her with parted lips and wide eyes.

It was the first time they had seen her break, seen her cry and flail like the newbies that came up with the box. Alby spoke of her arrival, but he only mentioned it to one other person just how fragile she really was. Alby had only mentioned it to Minho. How Elizabeth shook like a leaf, how she tugged at her boy short hair and wailed from inside the box for nearly a whole day, and how it took him nearly 2 hours just to her name. When Elizabeth first arrived Alby had originally thought she was shaky preteen. She had looked about 13, with choppy boy short hair that looked so horrendously cut that Alby made fun of it to make her laugh. Her clothes fit her loosely, a baggy shirt with equally baggy pants. Elizabeth wasn't strong when she arrived at the Glade, she was as fragile as glass and needed to be treated with a delicate touch that Alby was not familiar with. Being around the boy, and then the other Gladers, slowly built her up.

But this.

This tore her straight back down.

She knew she was screaming, but the world around her seem to move slowly and no sound reached her ears. Her hair, now reaching just below her chin in choppy and uneven layers, flew around her face as she shook her head. Her hands no longer tugged at the arms that held her in place and instead she just gripped onto them, _afraid_.

"Ellie, stop!"

And she did. As soon as the words left the Asian boys mouth Elizabeth went limp in his arms. She let out a weak cry, her hands reaching towards her head as she tangled her fingers in her hair.

"Minho, tell me he didn't," She lifted her head. She was certain that she looked crazy, she was peering through her thick brown hair and she could feel her nose become more congested with the snot that arose the more her tears fell. Elizabeth moved her hands, her longer fingers clasped around Minho's wrists, his arms still holding her in place - fearing she'd make another run for the door, "Is he dead? Is Newt... _dead_?"

"Slim it, Ellie," Minho responded with a forced eye-roll, "You know that shank is a lot tougher than that."

Elizabeth's face relaxed, "He - Newt's okay?"

Minho slowly let go of the girl and took a step in front of her. He raised a brow, taking in her appearance: her hair was a disheveled mess, her clothes wrinkled and her eyes were red and sunken in from her obvious lack of sleep, "He's sleeping, something your shuck face should be doing."

"I'll go to sleep after I see him, I just want to -"

Minho shook his head, "Ell's, Alby said no visitors. That means you, too."

At this, Elizabeth's face hardened. The boys watching averted their gazes, knowing full well how this would go. It was no secret who hung around Elizabeth the most. And even though she tried to split her time among all the boys evenly, she was still exceptionally close to Alby and Minho. Newt was growing on her, the thick accented boy being a nice calm from Alby's constant worry and Minho's sarcasm. The boys sarcasm and temper matched her own, it made their friendship incredibly strong but also caused their fights to be worse than when boys went hand to hand.

"Listen here," Elizabeth took a step back before she jabbed her index finger into Minho's chest, "You ain't the boss of me, _Minho_. Take a step back."

Minho crosses his arms, a smug look crossing his features despite the angered look that settles on Elizabeth's, "Oh yeah? Why don't you make me, snot face?"

Elizabeth narrows her eyes as she tried her hardest not to sniffle. She furiously wiped under her nose, still looking at Minho with an unappreciative look, "I ain't playing with you, Minho. _Move_!"

"Newt doesn't want to any of our shuck faces," Minho snapped irritably, taking a step forward, "Go to bed, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth ducked, sprinting past Minho as soon as he took the step. She stumbled forward after feeling him swipe at her shirt in a feeble attempt to stop her. Her hands dragged across the floor for a brief moment before she caught her balance. She didn't yell for anyone to move, she didn't have to, the boys simply parted for her. Minho's voice echoed around her, his frustration with her not hidden in the slightest.

But she didn't care. Not when one of her boys tried to kill themselves.

**Her** boys.

She slammed the door open, the two males sitting inside both jumped and whipped their heads to the door. Minho was quick to stand behind her, spewing half-hearted insults her way. His voice barely met her ears, the only thing she was able to focus on was the blonde boy in bed. Scratches and bruises littered his square jaw and exposed arms, his leg was propped up and bent at an awkward angle. His face was paler than usual, and the dark circles under his eyes made her want to cry.

"Lizzy what are you -"

So she did. Elizabeth cried and cried and the boys in the room swore that it was the worse sound they've ever heard.

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><p><strong><span> AUTHORS<span> NOTE**

Thank you for the reviews! They made me so happy.

In case anyone was wondering this will be hinted Newt/OC and eventual Minho/OC.

Thank you for reading!

Now, can you guess who Elizabeth is named after?


	3. Hold Tight

**HOLD TIGHT  
><strong>

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><p>She had a habit, it wasn't anything like biting her nails or twirling her hair. But it was habit that nearly everyone noticed at some point, certain boys more than others.<p>

Elizabeth held onto things. More specifically, she held onto the boys. When she walked with Alby, usually in the mornings, she had a habit of holding the end of his shirt, like a tired child clinging to an adult. When she and Newt walked around to check on the keepers, she grasped onto his shoulder and let the taller of the two guide them around the Glade. When she was beside Minho she gripped his upper arm, _trying_ to keep pace with them.

It was like she was afraid to lose them within the crowd, as if losing them within the mass of Gladers would mean losing them forever. She held onto them lightly, only tightening her grip when she felt like she had to.

It wasn't as if Elizabeth needed them to escort her around or anything, she was well adjusted to the Glade and looked up to - no one dared mess with her and the newbies would be turned into a pile of klunk if they even tried.

Elizabeth was just afraid. She held onto them because she was afraid that if she didn't that they would just disappear from her one day. That she would wake up, alone and scared, just as she had when she first arrived. She was constantly worried. After Newt's incident she was the one who helped him walk until he was adjusted. She gripped his shoulder, his shirt, the strap of his bag - _anything_. She became accustomed to the odd sway that came along with his limp.

She worried about Minho or Alby not returning from the Maze - though, she never openly admitted that. So, when they were back she tended to them in a motherly fashion. Scolding them (mostly Minho) for the bumps and scrapes, and forcing food and water into their bellies. She washed their clothes herself and scrubbed them as clean as possible - though she usually complained the entire time.

**She** needed _them_.

But did **they** need _her_?

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"It's worth a shot, shuck face."

"Do you think this is smart?"

"Well, what else can we do?"

"Yeah, but it's Ellie we're talkin' about!"

"I know, shuck face!"

"Listen here, slinthead, I didn't -"

"Who you calling a slinthead, _slinthead_!?"

"_Slim _it!"

The conversations around her hushed, and Elizabeth huffed dramatically. She removed her fingers from the blond's shirt and crossed her arms over her chest. Newt raised a brow, looking at her with his peripherals.

"We've already agreed that I'm going to be the one to do it."

This started multiple conversations up again, and it took Alby's booming voice to quiet them down again.

The box had come up with supplies, and the boys had yet to remove or even open the box. They had devised a plan, one that's been discussed before - to put someone in the box to see if it goes back down with them inside. The only problem was figuring out who would get in the box. At least, that's what the Gladers _thought_ they had to decide on. But when they had gathered around the box that morning, Alby, Elizabeth and Newt already stood close by - apparently, with a person already in mind.

"What do you mean _we_ agreed?" Minho's voice snapped, "_I_ don't remember agreeing to anything."

"Minho," Elizabeth snapped.

Alby lifted his hands and waved them, a half-hearted attempt at silencing the group of boys, "Listen, Elizabeth and I have talked about it and we think it's the best idea to put _her_ in the box."

"Why?"

Elizabeth lifted her head to peer at Newt, a deep frown was set on his lips now and he looked down at her with furrowed brows. Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek, casting a side glance at Alby and giving him a single, firm nod.

The colored boy lifted his chin, looking at the Gladers around him, "Ellie's the only girl here in the Glade... If the Creators want to take anyone out of this place it's probably her."

"What a bunch of klunk," Minho scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "There's gotta be a reason they dropped her off here."

"Listen," Alby stretched the word out, shooting Minho a look that clearly was meant to shut the Runner up, "Ellie has agreed, and I think it's best for her to go down in the box - "

"What if the box goes down with her and never comes back up?!"

A chorus of agreements sounded from around the box and Elizabeth sighed, raising and lowering her hands in a gesture meant to hush the boys.

"Listen," Elizabeth cocked her hip, her head moving slowly so she could look at the Gladers around as she spoke, "We're going to keep the lid open but I'm going to be the only one in the box. The second that thing starts moving the plan is to have everyone jump in. I don't think they'll take us if we all just sit in there and wait for a ride, but maybe if we trick them into thinking that it's just me... Maybe it'll work. Maybe we won't be stuck here forever if we try."

All she ever did was **try**.

The supplies were taken out of the box, and once it was empty the boys helped lower her into the box. Alby and Minho grasped her hands and Elizabeth pointed her feet - waiting for the tip of her boot to scrape the floor. She gripped their hands roughly and hand her eyes shut tight until she felt something scrape the toe of her shoe.

"Alright," Elizabeth's voice was strained, and a light nervous sweat accumulated on her forehead. She was nervous, of course, and she held onto the boys hands for a second longer than necessary. Her boots clanked against the metal ground and she looked around the box. A shiver when down her spine and she shook her head, trying to get rid of the feeling of deja vu that washed over her.

"You doin' alright, Lizzy?"

Newt's voice echoed around the box and Elizabeth looked up, squinting her eyes against the sun. A dozen shadows peaked into the box and Elizabeth lifted her hands to look at faces more clearly.

"Doin' great, Newt," Elizabeth replied, "Feel like a greenie again, it's _great_."

A few snickers echoed around her and Elizabeth smiled cheekily up towards the shadows.

"Alright Ellie," Alby's voice met her ears, "We're gunna take a step back, alright?"

"Just start screaming if the box starts moving," Minho spoke up, "Put those lungs to good use."

"Hey, Minho," Elizabeth spoke up as the shadows began to retreat, "I'm gunna kick the klunk out of you if you keep talkin'."

Laughter sounded around her once more and Elizabeth smiled. But once the silence consumed her once more, and the laughter was completely gone, she grew anxious and scared. Her heart raced and she wiped her sweaty palms against her pants. She sat down on the metal floor and ran a hand through her hair. Alby had recently cut it so it now ended at her shoulders. It was at it's longest it's ever been, but every time she tried to cut it boy short a chorus of groans and whines erupted from the Gladers.

_We like your hair short._

_"Why?"_

_It reminds us that you're not just another shucked face, smelly boy._

One hours, two hours, three hours. How long had she waited in the box before the boys began to peek over the edge and egg her to come back up. She refused the first time, curled in a ball by the second, and started stomping around the box by the third time. Minho had reached into the box with the help of a few other Gladers and yanked Elizabeth out by her shirt. She huffed when Minho finally pulled her out of the box, her cheeks were flushed from anger and she stomped around the box and once the boys closed the doors and Elizabeth began to kick the ceiling.

"Shuck face Creators, you can all go eat klunk for all I care!"

"Relax, Ell's," Minho laughed, slinging an arm over her shoulder and tugging her away from the box, "You might hurt yourself."

Elizabeth brought her elbow back and jammed it into Minho's side, "I told you I'd kick the klunk out of you!"

Minho laughed, rubbing his side lightly while Elizabeth stomped her feet as she walked. She reached out to grasp onto Minho's shirt, letting the boy lead her to the dining terrace. She squeezed his shirt and clenched her jaw, looking over her shoulder to look at the box.

"Glad you're still here, Ell's."

"Yeah... me too."

**She** needed _them_.

**They** needed _her_.

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><p><strong><span> AUTHORS<span> NOTE**

Thank you for the reviews, I'm so glad that some of you have taken the time to review and read!

Going to write some more silly drabbles soon, let me know if you guys would like to see anything in particular!

I'm open to ideas.


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